HOW TO USE SALT
Salt isn’t technically a spice, but for those of us in love with aromatics and their magic its contribution is critical and defining. One of salt’s defining roles is to help create clear communication of aromatic ingredient - it helps to make flavour louder and clearer. Better enunciated flavour is easier for the mouth to “hear”. And the easier it is for the palate to create definition around aromatic structure, the more delicious the end experience of a mouthful.
WHICH SALT TO USE, WHEN:
Fine white sea salts and lake salts are more driving than softer pink salts, and are great to use to push flavour through “difficult” produce. Use it with beef - a naturally heavy meat. Chicken also benefits from use of white salt. As do vegetables like potato and cauliflower.
Fine pink salts are sweeter, and have a longer and softer flavour resonance than white salts. These are gentler salts ideally suited to lamb, dal, softer vegetables and dishes were a softer end aromatic result is the ideal.
Flaked salts make superb finishing salts, or as unexpected exclamation points in flat breads - a little pop of salt in a mouthful.
Kala namak - Indian black salt - has a savoury, textural quality that is well suited to fried foods.